NCKU Students Design Bean Bag Chairs for a Creative Co-Living Space

December 29, 2015 09:51 PM Eastern Standard Time

TAINAN, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A total of 20 bean bag chairs designed by students from National Cheng
Kung University (NCKU) are perfect addition to the school’s Creative
Innovation Entrepreneurial (CIE) Center co-living space where students
are interested in learning about entrepreneurship live.

The co-living space has three distinct areas: 20 rooms, each with 3 beds
for both female and male students; two long corridors and one common
living area.

“We decided to create a series of CIE bean bags, which the students can
move around the three spaces, use for rest and assemble for group play
and exploration,” said Prof. Yen-Ting Cho from the Institute of Creative
Industries Design (ICID), who led the students to design the chairs.

A workshop kicked off in early November and more than 20 students were
involved and inspired to create their own bean bag chairs.

Also an artist and designer, Cho encouraged the students to design their
own form of bean bags and create their own colorful surface from his
design of ‘YTC’ patterns.

“For me, besides the great teamwork, the workshop was most rewarding
because every participant, including myself, experienced something new
by challenging our creative and collaborative limitations,” Cho said.

Rachel Chang who is a designer and guest instructor in the workshop
noted, “I designed the workshop to include structure analysis, shape
development, pattern cutting and conceptual communication.”

“Through the design exercise, I hoped students would learn to translate
their thoughts into a design and, moreover, apply their designs and
realize them as products,” added Chang.

Cho and Chang had the students to interact, use their bean bags and
documented the result through photos and videos during the final
workshop in December.

Shu-Ting Yeh, a students from ICID, who is one of the four assistants in
the student team, said, “I learned that, to achieve the outcome we want,
we cannot give up any possibility at any stage.”

Another assistant Yi-Bei Liu shares her happiness saying, “Learning by
doing was the most inspiring part of the whole process.”

Talking about his experience, Yu-Ting Li emphasized the fruitful outcome
and said, “Even the simplest design is full of detail.”

An exhibition to showcase the bean bags will be held on January 14 at
the NCKU Art Center.